Add to playlist: the gloriously boisterous grime-metal of Native James and the week’s best new tracks

Filtering alt influences and eskibeats through a distinctly Black British point of view, the Ipswich rapper’s scorched-earth rage sounds like a lot of fun

From Ipswich, UK Recommended if you like Linkin Park, Kano, Bob Vylan Up next New single Dumb Bruddah released via SharpTone Records on 30 October

“Laaa!” growls Native James on his 2025 track Fallen, stretching a wicked fried scream over more traditionally poppy “la-la-la” chants like a hair-raising metal frontman. Because, well, that’s what he is. But James is also a pretty deft rapper, the kind of artist who grew up listening to Evanescence during school lunchtimes then went home and studied first-wave grime on Channel U. The preceding verse on Fallen rattles through quick-witted bars over bouncy nu-metal riffs, blending Jamaican Patois with The Lion King references for a scorched-earth unmasking of his “demon within”. He’s raging in every sense of the word – and it sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.

Last year’s EP Confessions of a Sinner is full of similarly – gloriously – boisterous grime-metal crossovers. A student of fellow rap-rockers Linkin Park, James (real name Aaron James) filters his alt influences through a distinctly Black British point of view, from his rapid-fire, staccato delivery to his sly sense of humour. His latest single, July’s Never Been Scared, fine-tunes that blueprint, introducing metallic, eskibeat-style synths before its final drop crashes down like a roaring clap of thunder. A guest verse from Boy Better Know’s Frisco earns him bonus grime kudos, not that he really needs it. James had already brought out Double S and Professor Green during his 2025 Glastonbury set to perform their collaboration Block (RR), then he reunited the trio at Download festival this summer. Last month, he won One to Watch at the Independent Music Awards, following in the footsteps of Arlo Parks and Nia Archives. No wonder he’s never been scared. At 140bpm, he’s barely got time. Olive Pometsey